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Flag of Angola

Africa

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Quick Facts

Capital
Luanda
Flag adopted
1975
Population
36,170,961
Area
1,246,700 km²
Languages
Portuguese
Currency
Angolan kwanza (Kz) — AOA
Demonym
Angolan
Government
presidential republic
Subregion
Middle Africa
Driving side
Right
Timezones
UTC+01:00
Independence
1975

Religions

  • Roman Catholic 41.1%
  • Protestant 38.1%
  • None 12.3%
  • Other 8.6%

About This Flag

Two horizontal bands of red on the top and black on the bottom, with a centered yellow emblem consisting of a half gear wheel, a machete, and a five-pointed star. The red represents the blood shed during the independence struggle and colonial resistance.

The black symbolizes the African continent and its people. The yellow emblem draws heavily from socialist iconography: the gear wheel represents industrial workers and production, the machete represents agricultural laborers and the armed struggle, and the star symbolizes international solidarity and progress.

Adopted on November 11, 1975, upon independence from Portugal, the flag reflects the Marxist-Leninist ideology of the ruling MPLA party that led the liberation movement.

What the colors & design mean

Red honors the bloodshed during the fight for independence. Black represents Africa. The yellow half gear wheel symbolizes industrial workers, the machete represents peasants, agriculture, and armed struggle, and the star stands for solidarity and progress. Together, the emblem reflects the nation's socialist roots.

red black yellow

Pattern: Horizontal Stripes

Bordering countries (4)

🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo 🇿🇲 Zambia 🇳🇦 Namibia

Fun Facts

  • Angola's flag is one of the few national flags directly inspired by the Soviet hammer and sickle, replacing those tools with a machete and gear wheel to reflect African identity.
  • There have been multiple proposals to change the flag since Angola moved away from Marxism-Leninism in 1992, but none have been adopted due to the flag's deep association with independence.
  • The machete on the flag is a specific type called a catana, widely used in Angolan agriculture and carried by guerrilla fighters during the liberation war.
  • Angola's flag shares the red-and-black color scheme with several other former Portuguese colonies, reflecting shared liberation movement aesthetics.

Similar looking flags

These flags share similar colors and patterns:

🇦🇴 Germany 🇦🇴 Belgium 🇦🇴 Ghana 🇦🇴 São Tomé and Príncipe 🇦🇴 Uganda

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